The Rebel Alliance Strikes Back
by shiki94
Summary: Ever since the Authority decided to make their presence more known in the WWE, many have had to feel their wrath; as a result, lines have been drawn in the WWE. And on one side of this line is a group that won't stand for the near roster-wide torture from their bosses anymore. Together they make their stand...as the Rebel Alliance. Rated T for swearing. *CURRENTLY ON HIATUS*
1. A New Regime

**This is a fic that I've been wanting to write that is essentially my own spin on the whole Authority Knows Best storyline that's been going on. I feel the need to write this because I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this particular storyline; mostly because I just think this is just a chance for the higher-ups to stick their noses into matters that don't concern them (I mean, if it weren't for them, Daniel would've been WWE Champ at SummerSlam), also because I think this whole storyline has been something along the lines of a glorious train wreck.**

**So, disclaimer: I own none of the Superstars and Divas used in this. They are the property of themselves and the WWE. The only things I do own are the ideas that are going into this fic and my OC, Alex Hardy.**

_1...2...3..."He's done it, Cole! Daniel Bryan's the new WWE Champion!" Jerry Lawler exclaimed, watching as the younger Superstar was handed the WWE Championship by the guest referee, Triple H. _Daniel Bryan couldn't believe it. After everything he had been put through leading up to this opportunity to fight John Cena at SummerSlam, Daniel was finally holding the championship he had spent the better part of the year chasing after; all of the hurdles he had to jump over, all of the bullshit he had to put up with from Stephanie and Vince McMahon, all of that led to where he was now. And that was him standing in the middle of the ring with the WWE Championship. Just as he had climbed the turnbuckle to celebrate with the WWE Universe, where 'Yes!' chants filled the arena, the opening lines of 'Voices' filled the arena as Randy Orton made his way down the ramp with his Money in the Bank briefcase in hand.

As Daniel readied himself to defend against the Viper, he was suddenly spun around and, much to the surprise and shock of everyone, was hit with a Pedigree from Triple H just as Randy climbed into the ring. Handing his briefcase to Triple H, Randy got in position to perform an RKO on a still reeling Daniel as the younger man rose to his feet. With Triple H having already signaled for this new match to begin, Randy hit Daniel with an RKO. Pinning the recently crowned WWE Champion, Randy then stood and, accepting the WWE Championship from Triple H, raised his hands and his newly won belt high for the WWE Universe and the WWE roster members watching backstage to see. Little did anyone know that with this win, a new era was set to be ushered into the WWE, changing things as everyone knew it.

...

The Monday after SummerSlam, talk amongst the roster seemed to be Triple H helping Randy take the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan.

"I just can't believe SummerSlam actually had to end _that _way, though," Alex Hardy said, as she and her friends watched a replay of last night's main event.

"I'd say I saw it coming from a mile away, but even I had no clue that this was going to happen," AJ Lee said, as she packed her duffel bag in preparation for their morning training session.

"Well, if we were placing bets on who was going to walk away with the WWE Championship, I'm sure we all would've lost our money," Kaitlyn said, zipping her duffel bag. "I mean, we should've at least figured something was going to go down the minute Hunter decided to insert himself into the match as the referee."

"But, now, we've got to deal with the whole 'crowning of a new WWE Champion' thing later tonight on RAW," Alex said, picking up her own duffel bag and, grabbing her phone, headed for the door with two of her best friends falling into step with her. "Could either one of you two be a pal and explain to me why the hell it is that we even have to show up to this shipwreck?"

"Because we have to show that we're happy for our new champion and that we welcome him with open arms," Kaitlyn said, pulling the door to their hotel room closed after AJ walked out. "Which I wholeheartedly believe to be a huge crock because I don't really like Randy all that much."

"No one really does, Kait," AJ said. "I mean, I think he's got a few friends, but there's just something about him that drives people away from him."

"The thing I believe you're talking about is Randy's cockiness," said a voice coming from up ahead. Looking up ahead, the three Divas saw that it was some of their other friends on the roster, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Jimmy and Jey Uso, and Cody Rhodes, Alex's boyfriend.

"Now, Phil, Randy's not all that bad," Cody said, trying to defend one of the men that he had known for most of his career. "He's just, he's just, what's the word, really confident in his skills."

Placing a hand on the younger Superstar's shoulder, Punk said "Cody, that 'confidence' Randy has in himself is cockiness. It doesn't really help him that pretty much he's gotten more opportunities at belts than most people that have been in this company in the past."

"Well, can you blame me for wanting to try to defend Randy at least?" Cody asked, defensively. "After all, he is one of the guys that really helped me get a foothold in this company."

Shrugging, Punk said "Well, I guess maybe that could go towards something not self-centered Randy's done since he's been in the WWE. But, mostly everything else, he's done to stroke his own ego."

Listening as her friends went back and forth with their discussion of the man who was now the WWE Champion, Alex couldn't help but shake Randy winning last night from her head. This was the same man who had taken on both of her older brothers before when they were in the WWE and she knew just what he was capable of, and somehow, she was feeling that him having the backing of the people in charge was not going to be a good thing.

...

Everyone arrived at RAW to the news that everyone had to come out on the stage and watch as Triple H and Stephanie McMahon welcomed Randy out as the new WWE Champion.

Laying back on one of the benches in the locker room she shared with her friends, Alex moaned and said "I don't wanna go out there! Just let me know what they say and I'll go out there next time."

"No, Alex," Kaitlyn said, grabbing Alex by her wrists in a bid to pull the younger girl off of the bench. "Everyone has to go out there. That includes you."

"But, it's going to be so boring out there," Alex said, whining. "I'd rather get my teeth yanked out of my mouth than listen to Randy get showered with praise by Steph, Trips and Vince."

"Will you at least go out there and stand with Cody?" AJ asked. "I mean, none of us want to be out there. I'd rather be back here playing my DS than going out there and listening to droning for who knows how long, but we all have to suffer through this."

Looking over to her boyfriend to see that he was reflecting the same vibes that AJ was sending off, Alex sighed and said "Fine. But, just so you guys know, I'm not going to be happy with this."

"Noted, Alex," Kaitlyn said. "Now, let's head on. After all, we wouldn't want to be late for this assembly now would we?"

"I guess not," Alex said, opening the door to their locker room as they joined the group of Superstars and Divas that was making their way to the stage.

Once everyone was gathered on the stage, the opening chords of 'King of Kings' filled the arena as Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H made their way out on the stage and through the crowd of parted Superstars and Divas. Watching as the three most senior members of the WWE made their way down to the ring, Alex couldn't help but feel a strange feeling of revulsion towards the three; after all, it was because of them that Daniel Bryan didn't have a championship that he had rightfully earned.

Taking a microphone as soon as his daughter and son-in-law were in the ring, Vince McMahon looked out at the WWE crowd and, smiling, said "Welcome to Monday Night RAW! Last night was one hell of a night, wasn't it? After all, we crowned a new WWE Champion during last night's main event."

Hearing this, the crowd soon erupted with chants of 'No!'. Taking the microphone from her father, Stephanie said "Now, I'm sure all of you were expecting the champion last night to be Daniel Bryan, but we felt that that wouldn't exactly have been best for business. Which is why we had to let Randy come out and cash in his briefcase. After all, what kind of company would we be if we had someone like Daniel Bryan walking around with our most prestigious belt?"

"You'd be a company that could inspire people, that's what you'd be," Punk said, up on the stage, much to the shock of everyone around him.

Looking up at the Straight Edge Superstar, Triple H took the microphone from his wife and asked "I'm sorry, but could you repeat that please?"

"Look, I'm just saying here. Daniel had that match just as good as won last night, but I'm guessing that wouldn't have OK in the land of the boneheads," Punk said. "After all, it seems like you guys have had it out for Bryan ever since he first set foot here."

"Don't be ridiculous, Punk. We've been nothing if not fair with Daniel," Triple H said.

"Really, Hunter? Well, explain to me why it is that you and wifey and papa down there spent months trying to keep Daniel away from the WWE Championship. Why is that?" Punk asked.

Taking the microphone back from her husband, Stephanie said "Look, Punk, I get what you're trying to say here, but you have no idea how hard it was for us to have to let Randy cash in last night."

Snorting and rolling his eyes, Punk said "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever, just get on with the rest of the bs ceremony. I've got more important things to be doing right now."

Visibly shaken by Punk's outburst, Stephanie said "Well, Punk, since you've got _such_ important things to be doing, then get ready for your match later tonight. And don't worry about who your opponent will be. We've got that covered for you." Seeing the look of apprehension cross Punk's face, Stephanie smirked and said "And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that my husband, my father, and I give you your new WWE Champion, Randy Orton!"

The sounds of 'Voices' soon filled the arena as Randy Orton walked out on the stage and through the crowd of Superstars and Divas that had parted to let him through. Making his way to the arena, Randy walked on with a conceited smirk firmly on his face. Climbing the steps and climbing into the ring, Randy shook Triple H and Vince's hand and gave Stephanie a hug. Taking the microphone Stephanie had, Randy looked around at the WWE crowd and, hearing their boos, said "I can tell that not that many of you are pleased with the image before you, but too bad. I just had to bide my time and wait for my chance to cash in and reclaim what was rightfully mine. And it is with great pleasure that I stand before you as your WWE Champion." Casting a look up at the group gathered on the stage, Randy said "And I demand respect from each of you, seeing as how I'm _your_ face of the WWE."

A low murmur went through the roster members gathered on the stage. "Face of the WWE?" "What exactly does that mean?" "Does this mean that Randy's the guy that's supposed to represent us as a company?" Hearing this murmuring around her, Alex ducked through the crowd before any of her friends could stop her and headed backstage to wait the rest of Randy's 'coronation ceremony' out. 'I don't have time to listen to that egomaniac make his own head swell even bigger than it already is,' Alex thought as she sat on top of one of the equipment crates. 'This is so not what I signed up for all those years ago. And, I can only tell that things are only going to get worse from here.'

**Don't forget to R&R to let me know what you guys think of this as a start.**


	2. Punk's Trial

After having to stand on the stage and listen to more of Randy going on about him being the face of the WWE now for ten more minutes, the roster was free to head backstage so that they could prepare for any matches and segments they had later in the show. Splitting off from the larger group, Cody, AJ, and Kaitlyn walked off in search of Alex.

"How did we manage to lose track of Alex?" AJ asked, scanning the hall they were walking down.

"We didn't lose track of her, AJ," Kaitlyn said, looking around under some the tables that were set up. "We were all paying so much attention to Randy, Vince, Stephanie, and Hunter that Alex must've decided to bolt while we weren't looking."

"I wonder why she took off," Cody said, worry coloring his voice. "You don't think she got upset about something out there, do you?"

"I wouldn't say that she got upset about something that was said, but this is Alex we're talking about," AJ said. "She has her reasons for doing lots of the things that she does."

"That much I know," Cody said. "I just can't seem to guess why it was that she would just take off without telling one of us."

"Maybe we'll be able to find that out once we find her," Kaitlyn said. Suddenly hearing Alex's voice, Kaitlyn said "And I think she might be closer than we think."

"What makes you say that, Kait?" AJ asked, before she heard Alex's voice as well. Leaning in to better hear where Alex might be, AJ said "She's down that hallway."

"Well, then let's go get her," Kaitlyn said, walking down the hallway with AJ and Cody following behind her. After walking a ways past a few tables and chairs, the trio finally found Alex sitting on one of the crates with her earbuds in her ears, singing along with the Phoenix song, S.O.S. in Bel Air. Walking to stand in front of Alex, Kaitlyn tapped Alex on the shoulder.

Her eyes snapping open, Alex looked around and saw two of her best friends and her boyfriend all looking at her with concerned looks on their faces. Taking out her earbuds, Alex said "Hey guys. Is Randy's bit over already?"

"Yeah, it's been over for about a good ten minutes now," AJ said, hopping up on the crate beside Alex.

"Mind telling us why you decided to ditch the whole thing?" Kaitlyn asked.

Shaking her head and hopping down from the crate she was sitting on, Alex said "I'd really rather not. It's a long story and I don't want to risk having my blood pressure spike because of it."

"Do you think you could maybe tell us later?" Cody asked.

Looking up at her boyfriend, Alex said "Maybe I could. All just depends on how I feel after the show's over. So, what kind of matches are up for tonight?"

"Well, Punk kind of shot off at Steph and Hunter, so he's got a match later tonight against a surprise opponent," AJ said, leaping off of the crate as well.

"Surprise opponent, huh?" Alex asked. "Almost makes you wonder who that could be."

"It could be anyone on the roster," Kaitlyn said. "Guess we'll have to find out later tonight."

Watching on as his girlfriend talked on with two of her friends, Cody couldn't help but let a sinking feeling crawl over him. He knew he shouldn't worry too much about Alex, but there was a part of him that just felt uneasy about how Alex had been behaving. Not wanting to make all that big of a deal about it, Cody fell into step with the girls as they headed for their locker room.

…

Making it back to their office and slamming the door shut behind them, Hunter, Stephanie, and Vince all took seats on the couches that were in their office.

"How dare Phil think he can just shoot off at us like that?" Hunter asked, clenching and unclenching one of his fists.

"Phil is obviously in need of an attitude adjustment," Stephanie said, placing a hand on one of her husband's knees. "One that we may just have to give him."

"And how exactly do you propose we do that?" Hunter asked.

Scratching his chin before he got hit with an idea, Vince said "Stephanie already said that Phil's in action later tonight, right? How about we show him during his match?"

Listening to the suggestion his father-in-law just made, Hunter said "That actually doesn't sound like too bad of an idea. Who did you have in mind?"

Smiling one of his signature smirks, Vince said "You'll see later."

…

The show for the night had gone relatively smoothly with some of the typical matches that were on the card with Cody taking on Dean Ambrose of The Shield, Dolph taking on Alberto Del Rio, AJ, Kaitlyn, and Alex teaming together to take on the team of Aksana, Summer Rae, and Fandango, and a few segments that only served as filler. The buzz floating amongst the roster, as well as the fans in attendance, was all over who Punk's opponent was going to be later in the night. Many were thinking that it was going to be Randy since Punk interrupted his 'crowning' ceremony earlier in the night.

"How do you even prepare to fight a guy like Randy anyways?" Jimmy asked, as he changed into his street clothes after having a match with his brother where the two took on the Prime Time Players.

"As cryptic as this may sound, you don't prepare to fight a guy like Randy," Punk said, taping his wrists. "You just go out there and hope you don't get caught offguard by him."

"We wish you well in your match," Jey said. "Try not to let him beat you."

Smirking as he finished his wrists, Punk said "I wouldn't dream of it. Now, if you kind people will excuse me, I've got a main event to go put on."

"Good luck," Kaitlyn called over her shoulder.

Not wanting to sit idly while Punk left, AJ hopped up from her seat beside Kaitlyn. Throwing a quick lie over her shoulder, AJ sped out of the locker room to catch Punk before he got too far away.

"Punk! Hey Punk!" AJ shouted as she tried to keep up with him.

Hearing his voice being called behind him, Punk turned around to see a slightly red-faced AJ speeding after him. "AJ, what's up?" Punk asked, confused about why the younger Diva would be hurrying after him at a time like this.

Finally catching Punk, AJ stopped to catch her breath. After having managed to get her wind back, AJ said "Be careful out there."

Chuckling a bit, Punk said "Being careful is for those that don't know what they're doing. I don't fall into that category, so I'll be fine."

"I know, but still. Promise me that you'll be careful out there," AJ said, a worried look on her face. "I'm aware that you've been up against guys like Randy before, but just promise that you'll be careful out there, Phil."

Seeing the look on AJ's face and hearing her use his real name instead of his ring name, Punk grabbed AJ by her shoulders. Looking down into AJ's eyes, Punk said "April, I promise I'll be fine out there. I've been up against Randy numerous times before. You've got nothing to worry about."

Looking into Punk's eyes, AJ could see that Punk was confident in his ability to win. Sighing, AJ said "I guess you're right. But, can you blame me for being worried about you, Phil? You did take a pretty rough beating from Brock last night."

Smiling at the fact that AJ noticed that, Punk pulled AJ in for a hug and said "Oh, April. I've taken worse beatings than that one before. Besides, if I do end up against Orton, then I won't even be out there long."

Returning Punk's hug, AJ smiled and, looking into Punk's eyes, said "You're right. After all, it's going to take more than some Viper to beat the Best in the World."

Pulling away only to mess up AJ's hair, Punk laughed and said "That's my girl. Now, watch me do what I do best" as he turned and sped off to the gorilla position just as the opening guitar riff of 'Cult of Personality' started to play through the arena.

"Good luck out there!" AJ yelled after Punk, which got a thumbs-up from the older man.

…

Punk made it to the gorilla and through the curtain just in time enough to do his entrance and make it to the ring. He had just taken off his shirt and thrown it out into the crowd when 'No Chance in Hell' started to play through the arena. Looking on in confusion as Vince McMahon walked out onto the stage, Punk shook his head and laughed as he asked for a microphone. Bringing the microphone to his lips, Punk asked "Um, Vince. I think you're in the wrong place. This isn't your cushy office, so why are you out here?"

Smirking as he brought his own microphone to his lips, Vince said "Well, Punk. I'm out here because I'm here to announce your opponent for the night."

"Well, it's about damn time. Don't keep me waiting any longer," Punk said. "The suspense is killing me."

His smirk growing, Vince said "No need to worry about waiting a minute longer. Because here he is!"

Punk waited on until the sounds of 'Next Big Thing' played through the arena. Any signs of a smirk that were on his face disappeared the minute he saw Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman step through the curtain.

Shaking Vince's hand as the older man went backstage, Paul brought a microphone to his lips and said "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? Brock gets to fight you two nights in a row."

Bringing his own microphone back up, Punk said "Try as he might, but Brock won't beat me so easily tonight."

Laughing, Paul said "Oh, I don't think Brock has anything to worry about as far as you are concerned. After all, it looks to me like you're still in no condition to compete at all tonight."

Looking down at the tape that was wrapped around his waist, Punk said "I've had worse injuries before, Paul. But, I'm not going to let a bit of bruising stop me from kicking Brock's ass around this ring."

Smirking, Paul said "We'll see if you can back up what that mouth of yours is saying." Nodding his head at Brock, Brock took that as a sign to head down to the ring for his match.

Throwing the microphone aside as Brock stepped into the ring, Punk braced himself for whatever damage Brock would cause him tonight.

…

Watching on as Punk and Brock continued their match, Alex and the others couldn't help but notice how physical things were starting to get between the two men.

Moaning, AJ rocked in her seat between Kaitlyn and Dolph as the two men exchanged hits with each other. "I am not liking how this is looking for Phil," AJ said. "Brock keeps going for his stomach, and Phil's really showing that it's affecting him."

Placing a hand on AJ's shoulder, Kaitlyn said "AJ, you have to remember. This is CM Punk we're talking about. He's the guy that's been through more hell in his matches than most other people we know."

"Kait's right, AJ," Dolph said. "Anyways, we all promised that we'd keep an eye on the match in case things started to get bad."

"Anyways, I don't think you've got anything to really worry about, AJ," Jimmy said from where he was sitting beside his brother. "Besides, look. Punk's got Brock set to do a GTS, so this match is just as good as won."

"Uhh, Jimmy. I wouldn't say that so soon," Alex said. Pointing at the TV screen, she said "Look."

As everyone turned to see what it was that Alex was talking about, they all got shocked at how the match had broken down: Punk had Brock set to do a GTS, only to get distracted by Paul leaping up on the apron and trying to get in the ring. Dropping Brock, Punk ran over to the ropes and made a move to punch Paul, only to just miss hitting Paul with a punch. Turning around, Punk walked right into a kick from Brock which got coupled together with an F5. Not wanting to waste any time, Brock quickly covered Punk and got the three-count for the win. Brock then stood up only for the sound of 'Voices' to fill the arena.

"I don't get it," Dolph said. "What's Randy doing going out there?"

Before anyone could answer, they all watched as Randy yelled at Brock to pick Punk up. Doing as the WWE Champion said, Brock picked up Punk, who tried but failed to fight his way out of the larger man's grip only to get kneed in the stomach. Smirking, Randy did an RKO on Punk before Punk could try to do anything else to defend himself. Looking down at a now fallen CM Punk, Randy put one of his feet on Punk's chest and did his Legend Killer pose, which drew a large amount of heat from the fans.

Not wanting to believe what had just happened, AJ started to cry as she yelled "Well, don't just sit back here! Someone go down there and help Punk!"

Sharing a look, Dolph and the Uso brothers leapt up from their seats and ran out the locker room to go help Punk out of the ring and to the medic's office before any more harm could be dealt to him.

Pulling AJ in for a hug as she tried to calm the younger woman down, Kaitlyn rubbed AJ's back and asked "Why the hell would Randy even do something like that?! Punk did nothing to hurt him, so why would he go out of his way to attack Punk when he couldn't fight back?"

"That's just Randy's deal," Cody said, still not quite comprehending the motive behind Randy's attack himself. "He just does what he wants when he pleases. But, not even he's so low as to want to hit a man when he's already down."

"Well, he'd better give us something in the way of an answer," Kaitlyn said, still working at trying to console AJ.

Watching on as Kaitlyn and Cody had more of their back-and-forth, Alex listened on as she took in how each of her friends were dealing with this turn of events: Kaitlyn was furious, AJ was immensely upset, and Cody couldn't seem to believe what had just happened. 'That was low, even for Randy. Kaitlyn's right. Orton had better give us an answer soon,' Alex thought, as she got up and moved over to AJ's other side and worked at trying to calm her friend down.

***sighs* Okk, so I know I might not be following the events that have been happening canonically with the Authority storyline, but I feel that at the very least I'm going to touch on some of the key things that have been happening in it.**

**Anyways, looks like Punk had to be the one to feel the Authority's wrath first...and poor AJ's worried sick about it. Maybe Alex and the others will get the answer from Randy that they're looking for soon. Until then, don't forget to R&R. =)**


	3. Healing and Dealing

No one could still believe what had just happened in the ring. It was bad enough that Punk had to get put in another match against Brock since the two had just had a match the previous night at SummerSlam; now, Punk just had to deal with losing to Brock and then getting attacked by Randy after the match was over. While most of the roster was definitely in shock over what had just taken place before their eyes, no one was more shocked by it than the others in Punk's group. AJ was especially taking it hard because she had to stand by and watch as the man she had feelings for fall victim to a two on one attack. Alex and the three that stayed in the locker room had finally managed to calm AJ down until they saw Punk get wheeled past them on a stretcher and loaded into the back of the ambulance that was waiting in the back.

Watching as Punk got loaded into the ambulance, AJ started to cry a bit while Cody pulled her in for a hug. Looking over at the two, Alex said "I'll go ask one of the crew which hospital Phil's going to be taken to." Walking over to one of the EMTs, Alex talked with him and after getting the name of the hospital once the ambulance took off, went back to the others. Once she was back with Cody, Kaitlyn and AJ, Alex said "The EMT said Phil should be getting to the hospital in a few minutes. He also said that we can go see him in about fifteen minutes."

"That's a bit of a relief," Kaitlyn said. "At least we can try to put this whole mess behind us. Now, let's head back to the locker room and see if Dolph, Jimmy, and Jey made it back yet."

The group of four then made the way back to their locker room and were met with Dolph and the Uso brothers packing their bags. Slipping out of Cody's grip, AJ ran in the room and hugged each of the men. Pulling away from Jey once she was done, AJ said "Thank you. All three of you. It means so much that you guys decided to go out there and help Phil."

"No need to thank us, AJ," Dolph said. "Phil's our friend. It's the least we could do to help out one of our closest friends."

"Nick's right, AJ," Jimmy said. "Plus, it'd make us look like assholes if we just let Phil get laid out to dry out there."

"I just can't believe Randy would pull something like that," AJ said. "It's almost like he had something against Phil the way he took him down."

"Well, it's like when Cody and Celeste were talking about it a while ago," Alex said. "Maybe we'll get the answer from Randy that we want about why he attacked Phil the way he did. But for now, let's just focus on getting through tonight and going to check on Phil."

Nodding her head, AJ walked over to one of the benches to grab her duffel bag as Kaitlyn, Alex, and Cody followed suit. Once everyone had their things all gathered, the group of seven left the arena, got in their rental cars, and drove for the hospital that the EMT Alex talked to said Phil was carried to. Once the group made it to the hospital, they got out of their cars and went inside. Walking inside, AJ walked to the receptionist's desk and, after getting Punk's room number, led the others to where their friend was staying for the night. Reaching the room, no one could bring themselves to knock on the door until Jey slipped around everyone and knocked on the door. At first, they didn't get anything in the way of a response until they heard a voice say "Come in." Opening the door, everyone filed into the room to find Punk lying on one of the beds. Taking a closer look at the Chicago native, everyone saw that he had his ribs and abdomen bandaged up.

Walking over to one side of the bed, AJ took the opportunity to hug Punk.

Hissing a bit as he returned the hug, Punk said "Easy now, AJ. I just got F5ed, kneed in the gut, and RKOed. I'm in no condition to get hugged right now."

Pulling away, AJ blushed slightly and said "Sorry. It's just, I'm glad you're OK, Phil. We all didn't expect Randy to come out and attack you."

"I wasn't expecting it either," Punk said, lying back against the headboard. "I think I just wanted to wrap my hands around Paulrus's neck for costing me the match so badly that I forgot about the fact that Brock was still in the ring. Then Randy charges the ring and starts feeding that giant stooge orders to lift me up. I tried to fight my way out of that mess, but then Randy fucking knees me in my gut and after that, I'm eating an RKO. Thankfully, I had good friends come and help me."

Waving off Punk's thanks, Dolph said "Hey, no worries, man. You're our friend. That's what we're supposed to do for each other."

"I'll have to remember that if any of you guys need any help in the future," Punk said. "That goes for you girls too."

Smiling, Kaitlyn said "Nice to know that me, AJ, and Alex have the Straight Edge Savior to come save us should we ever need his help."

Shrugging as a smile split his face, Punk said "Hey, it's what I do."

The group of seven spent a bit more time talking to Punk until a nurse came in to let them know that visiting hours for Punk were almost over. Standing from the seats they had taken, everyone got ready to leave Punk's room, with only AJ staying behind. Looking back, Alex asked "AJ? You coming with us?"

Looking between Punk and her mentor, AJ said "Um. Actually, I was thinking about staying here with Phil tonight. Do you think I'd be able to?"

"I don't see why you can't," Alex said. "You'll have to clear it up with the nurses first and then come get your bag out of the car."

"OK," AJ said, rising from her seat. Looking down at Punk, AJ said "I'll be right back, Phil."

Nodding his head as he laid back, Punk watched as AJ left with Alex and the others. He had decided to close his eyes for a few minutes in the hopes of getting a few minutes of rest. Punk had managed to drift off to sleep when he heard the door to his hospital room reopen and close. Opening his eyes, he saw AJ walk in with her duffel bag. Grinning, Punk said "I'm actually surprised you want to have a hospital sleepover with me."

Grinning herself as she got out her nightclothes and began to change, AJ said "Well, I was going to spend most of the night worrying about whether or not you were OK, so I decided it'd be best for me and the others if I stayed here with you. Plus, something's telling me that you needed the company."

"You're right about that," Punk said. "I swear, all of this machinery and the creeping quiet has been making me want to crawl the walls."

Laughing as she finally finished getting dressed in her nightclothes, AJ said "Well, fear not, Phil. Because now you've got one part of the Chickbusters here to make this hospital stay cooler than it was before."

Laughing himself, Punk moved over in his bed so that AJ could take a seat beside him. Looking over to the younger woman, Punk raised an eyebrow and asked "Now, how exactly does one part of the great and powerful Chickbusters plan on making this stay in the hospital cooler for me?"

Reaching into her duffel bag, AJ pulled out two PSPs; one belonging to her and the other belonging to Alex. Handing Punk Alex's, AJ turned hers on and said "For one thing, I fully intend on wiping the floor with you in Final Fantasy Dissidia. Don't get too upset if you get beat by a girl."

Hearing the challenge in AJ's voice, Punk turned on Alex's PSP and said "You're sounding awfully confident for someone who's about to get beat herself."

Once the games had finished loading, AJ and Punk settled in as they had a series of one-on-one fights. After a good thirty minutes of matches, Punk came out on top, beating AJ eight matches to six. Grinning over at the younger Diva, Punk said "And _that _is why I'm the Best in the World."

Playfully pouting, AJ said "You just got lucky tonight. Besides, I was just being nice and letting you win, Phil."

"Well, maybe next time we have another gaming battle with each other, you can take me on in a serious game. After all, I still want to play you again in Mortal Kombat," Punk said.

Yawning as she plugged her and Alex's PSPs up to charge, AJ said "I'd like that a lot, Phil. So, do you want me to take the other bed?"

Moving over a bit more, Punk said "You can share the bed with me if you'd like. There's more than enough room for one more on this bed."

Yawning again, AJ said "OK." Pulling the sheets down so that she could get in bed with Punk, AJ then pulled them back up once she was comfortable on the bed with Punk. Laying her head on the pillow, AJ said "Thanks for sharing your bed with me, Phil."

"No, April. Thank _you _for offering to stay the night with me," Punk said. "Means a lot to me."

"Hey, it's the least I could do," AJ said, sleep finally taking hold of her as she closed her eyes.

Looking down to notice the younger woman asleep, Punk wrapped an arm around AJ and pulled her close to him, being careful not to hurt his ribs and abdomen. Planting a soft kiss on AJ's hair, Punk finally closed his own eyes as he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

…

Friday night after arriving at the arena for the SmackDown broadcast, Alex and the others, minus AJ and Punk, had just gotten to their locker room when they were approached by Vickie Guerrero, acting General Manager of SmackDown.

"Good evening, you six," Vickie said.

"Good evening, Vickie," Cody said. "Any reason you came to see us so soon before the show starts?"

"I'm just came to pass along a message," Vickie said. Looking around the second generation Superstar, Vickie said "Dolph, Jimmy, and Jey. You three are to report out to the stage halfway through the show."

"Out to the stage? What for?" Dolph asked, confusion clear on his face.

Shrugging, Vickie said "I have no clue why. That was the message that Paul passed on to me for you three once I saw you guys."

"It's probably for what we did last night," Jey said, pushing open the door to their locker room and walking inside.

"Well, I'm sure it can't be anything that bad. I guess we'll have to wait and see what it is," Vickie said, turning on her heel and walking back to the office.

Sharing a look with Jimmy, Dolph asked "You think your brother's right about us playing heroes last night?"

"I don't even know myself, man," Jimmy said. "I'm just hoping that we can find out what it is soon."

…

As requested, Dolph, Jimmy, and Jey all reported to the stage area when the show had reached the halfway point. The three men had only been out for a few minutes when the opening chords of 'King of Kings' filled the arena and Triple H and Stephanie McMahon came out, making their way down to the ring.

Once Triple H and Stephanie were in the ring and had microphones, Triple H brought his microphone up to his lips and said "I'm pretty sure you three are wondering why we called you all out here tonight."

Asking for a microphone and then being handed one, Dolph said "Yeah. What gives, Hunter?"

"What 'gives', as you so cutely just asked, is the matter of you three coming out to the ring last night to help Punk while he was still in the ring," Triple H said.

"Well, in case you didn't notice, Punk was getting beat down by two people at once. As his friends, we couldn't just stand by and let that happen," Dolph said.

Looking over to his wife, both people in the ring started to laugh, much to the confusion of the three men on the stage. Confusion clear on his face, Jimmy took the microphone from Dolph and asked "I'm sorry, but did Dolph say something funny?"

Calming down from his laughing fit, Triple H said "You three are what's funny. Oh, to think you three could play hero and help out that disrespectful Punk."

"Well, it wasn't playing hero if we wanted to help our friend," Jimmy said. "After all, he had to fight that ape Lesnar for a second night in a row and then he pretty much gets jumped by Randy. I mean, come on. Where the hell's the justice in that?"

Raising her microphone, Stephanie said "It's funny that you should mention justice, Jimmy. Because, we've been meaning to dispense a little justice of our own for your interference Monday. And we've chosen just the three men to do so."

Before either Jimmy, Dolph, or Jey could try to figure out who Stephanie and Triple H meant, radio feedback followed by "Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta, SHIELD" filled the arena as the three members of The Shield made their way through the crowd to the ring. Looking between The Shield and Triple H and Stephanie, who had both donned sinister looking smirks, Dolph and the Usos made their way down to the ring, trying to figure out a plan of action for their impromptu tag team match.

…

Sunday still felt like a blur to Daniel. He had just won the WWE Championship in a hard fought match against John and all in the span of what felt like seconds, he had lost to Randy after getting Pedigreed by Triple H. After getting examined by the medics in the arena, Daniel had been told to take the next two weeks off so that he could rest and recover. He had tried to question what the medic told him, but after hearing the tone of the medic's voice, Daniel reluctantly decided to take the time off. Friday night of that same week, Daniel had just turned his TV on to try to catch some of what had been happening on SmackDown when he saw Dolph caught in an armbar by Seth Rollins.

Walking into Daniel's room with the drink he wanted, Brie Bella, Daniel's girlfriend, took a seat on the bed beside him. Handing the drink to Daniel, Brie asked "Find anything interesting to watch?"

"Just flipped to SmackDown. Dolph, Jimmy, and Jey have a match against The Shield," Daniel said.

"Six-man tag?" Brie asked. "Seems a bit odd to have a match like that so late into the show since it's so close to the main event."

"It does seem a bit weird," Daniel said, bringing an arm around Brie. "Maybe if we keep watching, we'll find out what the deal is."

…

Alex, Cody, and Kaitlyn just watched as Dolph, Jimmy, and Jey lost their match after Roman Speared Jey. The trio hadn't been expecting Triple H to give their friends an impromptu tag match or for their opponents to be The Shield. After watching Jey get Speared, none of the three could bring themselves to say anything.

Finally managing to get around her shock over what just happened, Alex asked "What did we just see?"

Not fully understanding herself, Kaitlyn said "Apparently, we just saw three of our friends get punished for helping another one of our friends back on RAW."

Outrage clear on her face, Alex had almost opened her mouth to say something when the door to their locker room swung open and Vickie came in. Taking in the faces of the three in the room, Vickie said "I take it you guys saw what happened out there."

Trying to keep her anger clamped down, Alex said "That's a bit of an understatement."

"I know it seems bad, but Paul said he's going to have another talk with everyone next Monday. Meaning, there's going to be another gathering out on the stage," Vickie said.

"Next Monday?" Alex asked, which Vickie responded to with a nod. "Are you freaking kidding me?!"

Holding her hands up defensively, Vickie said "I'm just passing on what they tell me. I'm supposed to pass this message around to the rest of the roster now."

Alex almost said something else until she felt Cody's arms wrap around in a hug from behind.

Not wanting to risk having his girlfriend go off on a tirade, Cody said "Thanks for passing this news on Vickie."

Nodding at what the younger man told her, Vickie took that as her cue to leave and carry on with passing around the message. No sooner than Vickie left did Dolph, Jimmy, and Jey come in the locker room. Having caught sight of Vickie just as they got to the locker room, Dolph asked "Why was Vickie here?"

"Just passing on some news," Kaitlyn said. "Apparently, there's going to be another roster gathering next week on RAW."

"Well, that doesn't sound good," Jimmy said. "I guess that explains why it seems like Alex is trying not to break something."

Taking deep breaths in an effort to calm herself down, Alex said "I just feel like I'm going to snap if we have to have another one of those things. I mean, it could just be me, but I don't see the real point in all of us going to stand out on the stage just for something pointless."

"Maybe we'll find out what the deal is next Monday," Kaitlyn said. "Also, maybe we'll get our answer for why Randy jumped Phil Monday."

Looking over to one of the Divas she mentored, Alex laughed a dry laugh and said "I wish I had your optimism about this situation, Kait. I really do, but sadly, I feel that things might not exactly go down that way. Knowing Paul, Steph, and Vince, they never give us things easily. It just isn't their way of doing things."

**So, I decided to slip a bit of PunkLee and Brie/Daniel into the mix. I feel that it helps to show how the Authority throwing their power around affects the significant others of some of the Superstars that have had to fall victim to Authority attacks. Anyways, I'm rambling here...don't forget to R&R please. ^^,**


	4. Unease In The WWE

**Good Christ... Can't believe it's been almost a full _five_ months since I last touched this story. IDK why I put it to the side. Maybe it's because there's been _so much_ happening with the whole Authority line that my head's been spinning trying to keep up with it all (seriously, I think there're even parts of my brain that still have motion sickness...). BUT! After making sure to _really_ keep track of a lot of the more key things (and still going my own route with this), I can safely say that I'm back in the groove of working on this. I'm going to try to update this as often as I can, so I hope you guys can forgive my seeming neglect with this fic. ^^, Now that the note's done, on to the fic. =)**

Next Monday for the RAW tapings, the roster reported to the arena as usual. With talk of the pending roster gathering on the stage, the roster members tried to figure out what exactly it was that Triple H, Stephanie, and Vince could possibly have to announce tonight. The ideas all seemed to vary from person to person, but one thing they could all agree with was the fact that they were going to be in for a lengthy talk.

Making their way to their locker room, Alex and the others talked through their own ideas as to why they were having the gathering tonight.

"This is going to make the second one in two weeks," Alex moaned. "What could they possibly have to lecture us all about tonight?"

"It might have something to do with me, Jimmy, and Jey playing Superman and the Wonder Twins last week when we helped Phil," Dolph said. "Quite honestly, I don't see why that would be a problem since we were just doing the right thing."

"I'm starting to think that maybe 'the right thing' isn't what our bosses think it is. After all, these are the same people that felt the need to put Phil through the wringer making him compete against Brock two nights in a row and then let Randy attack him after their match was over," Kaitlyn said.

"You really think that, Kait?" Alex asked, looking up at one of her best friends.

"It's just a theory I have, Alex," Kaitlyn said. "Don't think too much about it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Alex said while she thought _'I really hope this is just a theory you have, Kait. Because I'm getting a bad feeling about things looming on the horizon.'_

...

As the cameras began rolling for the night's episode of RAW, the roster had taken to meeting on the stage as the show went live. No sooner had the commentary crew at ringside announced the start of the show did 'King of Kings' fill the arena and Triple H, Stephanie, and Vince all come out and make their way to the ring through the parted crowd of Superstars and Divas. As the trio made their way down to the ring, a loud chorus of boos filled the arena. Climbing the steps and letting Stephanie get in the ring first, Triple H and Vince followed behind as they all got in the ring and got microphones.

Triple H had brought his mic up to his lips and was on the verge of saying something when he was met with a shower of boos from the WWE Universe. Smirking as a laugh rumbled through his chest, Triple H said "Oh come on now. Is that any way to welcome one of your favorite people?"

Hearing the boos, Vince brought up his own mic and said "They know they love us. After all, we did give them a blockbuster SummerSlam rematch last week. And we've got something even better in store for them tonight."

"You're right, Vince," Triple H said. "But first, I believe we have some people to introduce to the fans. Some people that I'm sure some of our friends on the roster have already had the pleasure of meeting."

Not sure who Triple H was talking about, everyone shared a confused look until the familiar sounds of feedback followed by 'Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta, SHIELD' filled the arena as The Shield came down through the crowd, hopped the barricade, and took a stand at the side of the ring facing the roster.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce you all to our newest security measure. Although, I'm sure you all know them as The Shield," Triple H said.

"Now, don't take this hard, everyone," Stephanie said, looking up at the roster. "It's not like we have anything against you guys. We just needed the extra protection and enforcement of our policies. Surely you all understand."

Seeing the faces of the roster as they all let this new bit of information sink in, Vince said "Now, how about we get this show on the road with our first match of the night."

"Good idea," Triple H said. Looking up at the roster, Triple H pointed and, smirking, said "Oh Ms. Hardy. Looks like tonight's your lucky night. You get to start the show."

Caught off-guard by what Triple H just said, Alex could only blink as she tried to think through why it was that Triple H singled her out of everyone on the roster. Not feeling sure of herself, Alex grabbed hold of Cody's hand and squeezed his fingers to let him know not to leave her. Once the three in the ring finished up, they left as The Shield followed up the ramp behind them as Alex kept her hold on Cody's hand as she made her way down the ramp to the ring.

_'_I _get first match of the show? What gives with this? Why is Trips giving me top match over another guy? Something about this doesn't seem quite right,'_ Alex thought, making it to the ring and hugging Cody before she climbed the steps and got in the ring. _'Well, no turning back now. Let's get this done with.'_

...

Kaitlyn and the others were backstage watching Alex's match against Damien Sandow and the group could tell that Alex was off with her moves.

"I don't think I've ever seen Alex this off before," Dolph said. "Any other time, she can beat Damien, so this just seems weird that she's not at her usual level."

"I think it's yet to really sink in to her that she got the match to start the show," Kaitlyn said. "Haven't you ever noticed that when Alex does have a match it's somewhere mid-way through the shows?"

"Well, if that's the case, then why would Paul give her a match so early?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know, Jimmy. Just seems weird that Paul would actually let Alex have her match so early in the show," Kaitlyn said.

"I don't think we're going to have to worry about that for much longer," Jey said. Pointing at the monitor screen, Jey said "Look."

Doing as Jey said, everyone watched as Alex hit Damien with a Twist of Fate and pinned the older Superstar, securing the win for herself.

Watching on as Cody slid into the ring and raised Alex's hand in victory, Dolph said "I guess us worrying about her wasn't needed that much. She managed to pull the win in typical Alex fashion."

"Yeah, you're right, Dolph," Kaitlyn said, keeping her gaze on the screen. As Dolph talked with Jimmy and Jey, Kaitlyn took note of the fact that Alex still seemed a bit panicked. _'I know she might've won, but I have never seen Alex look this weirded out before,' _Kaitlyn thought. _'I just hope Cody can keep a handle on her so that she doesn't have a panic attack.'_

...

Alex and Cody had just gotten backstage when Alex walked over and slumped against one of the walls. Sliding down to the floor, Alex sat with her back to the wall and, holding her head in her hands, moaned and said "Oh my fuck. That had to be one of the worst matches I've ever been in."

"It wasn't that bad," Cody said, resting a hand on Alex's head. "You still managed to win in the end."

"Yeah, but not before I pretty much made a royal mess of the match," Alex said. "I'm pretty sure Damien's wondering why it seemed like I was messing up so much."

"Don't worry about Damien too much," Cody said. "Just focus on your win.

Lifting her head to see the concern on her boyfriend's face, Alex said "I guess you're right. It's just, I've never been in the position of starting the show. Paul knows this all too damn well, so I don't get why he gave me first match."

"Now, Alexis. Is that really any way to act after getting the chance to kick off the show?" Stephanie asked, walking over to where Alex and Cody were. "Do you not know how many of your fellow roster members would jump at the chance to kick off RAW?"

"Then why not give one of the others first match next time? Why even give it to me tonight in the first place?" Alex asked, rising to her feet.

"Because it was a decision that my husband, my father, and myself felt would be best for business," Stephanie said. "And, besides, you've got _nothing_ to be upset about. Fans seemed to enjoy watching you take on Damien, so I don't see what the big deal is."

Wanting to fire back at Stephanie, Alex almost opened her mouth to fire back at one of the principal owners of the WWE when Cody's hand on her shoulder gave her the vibe that she shouldn't. Taking a breath, Alex said "You're right, Steph. After all, fans paid to watch kickass wrestling, and that's what I feel I gave them."

"That's the spirit. Keep thinking like that and you'll go far in this company," Stephanie said, turning on her heel to walk off. Turning back to look at the couple one last time, Stephanie said "Oh, one more thing. Cody, I wish you the best of luck in your tag match later tonight with Kofi. I'm sure it'll be a good one" before walking off.

Once Steph walked off, Alex said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "Well, _that _wasn't totally awkward in any way, shape, or form."

"She was just doing her job, Alex," Cody said. "We may not like it, but she _is_ one of our bosses. So, it's not like there's much we can do about how things are run around here."

"If you're saying that we should just lay on our backs and just accept whatever it is that our bosses throw at us, I'd really rather not," Alex said. "Besides, if you ask me, I think Phil had the right idea when he called Paul and Steph out on screwing Daniel out of winning the WWE Championship."

"A lot of us think that, but we're just the employees," Cody said. "There's not really much we can do about all of this if we don't want to risk losing our jobs."

Hearing everything her boyfriend said, Alex sighed and said "I guess you're right. I just don't like this. It's making me feel weird and I can only tell that things are only going to get worse and crazier from here."

...

Daniel had just gotten finished getting checked over by the doctor and gotten the medical clearance to return to work next week. He had just gotten back home to Brie and was getting ready to tell her the good news when Daniel walked in on Brie in he middle of a phone call.

"Really?" "That's great. I'll make sure to tell Daniel when he comes back from his doctor's appointment." "OK. See you Monday, Steph," Brie said, ending her phone call with Stephanie. Looking up to see her boyfriend, Brie smiled and said "Just got off the phone with Stephanie."

"So I just heard," Daniel said, planting a kiss on Brie's forehead. "What'd she want?"

"She just called me and said that if you get cleared by the doctor, you can return to RAW next week," Brie said. "Apparently, it's some invitation that she and Paul are extending some kind of invitation to you to join them."

"An invitation?" Daniel asked, a look of thought crossing his face. "I wonder what for."

"Should it really matter? If you're cleared to go back, I say you go so that you can work your way back to reclaiming what's yours. And that's _your_ WWE Championship," Brie said.

Hearing the determination in Brie's voice, Daniel said "You're right. I'm just not feeling so great about the fact that the guy that screwed me out of the belt I rightfully earned and his wife are personally inviting me back to RAW. Call it my charming paranoia, but I don't trust this. I don't trust it at all."

**Probably not the best chapter I've posted, but I feel that this was a good way to get back on track with the fic. Now, to recap what happened: The Authority has hired The Shield as their new security team (something no one on the roster was comfortable with_ at all_), Alex got chosen to have the first match on RAW (something that she was not comfortable with)_, _Stephanie came along with niceness for Alex and Cody (something neither of the two were really comfortable with), and, after getting medically cleared, Daniel gears up for his return to the ring only to be told by Brie that Stephanie and Triple H have personally extended an invitation to him to join them (something Daniel feels uneasy about). Lots of uncomfortable and uneasy feelings around. Will anyone's paranoia be warranted enough for what's in store? You'll just have to wait to find out. Until next time, don't forget to R&R please. =) **


End file.
